School History & Founders
After we retired from the Bibb County Public School System, we were amazed at the number of students, teachers, parents, and community members who conveyed to us their belief that we simply couldn't be finished with education and that they believed we had more to give. Within a few months after retirement, we realized they might be right and recognized how much we missed the day-to-day interaction with our students as well as the professional relationships we had with our colleagues and the energy and excitement that is a part of the process of learning.
We believe that young people will meet the expectations we set for them. The question is who is willing to set that bar high enough and create a culture for teaching and learning that not only expects the best but demands it? We have worked in settings that have done this in the past and want to create that again in the future for the sake of our students and our community.
Our mission has been from the start and will continue to be to provide a viable educational opportunity for parents, students AND teachers outside of the current public/private venues.
Founders: Laura Perkins & Esterine Stokes
We believe that young people will meet the expectations we set for them. The question is who is willing to set that bar high enough and create a culture for teaching and learning that not only expects the best but demands it? We have worked in settings that have done this in the past and want to create that again in the future for the sake of our students and our community.
Our mission has been from the start and will continue to be to provide a viable educational opportunity for parents, students AND teachers outside of the current public/private venues.
Founders: Laura Perkins & Esterine Stokes
Laura Perkins, Co-Founder/Complex Principal (2014-2024)
Perkins has over 30 plus years in public education serving as a classroom teacher, high school and middle school counselor, high school assistant principal for a career tech high school, principal for a career tech high school and principal for a traditional large, urban high school, Westside High School. She has managed large budgets and was part of a team that sought and received a 1.5 million dollar grant for a blended learning curriculum implementation in which the DOE determined them to be a “model school for blended learning.”
Esterine Stokes, Co-Founder/Chief Academic Officer
Stokes has over 30 plus years in public education. She returned to Southwest High School from which she graduated, serving as registrar while obtaining a degree in Business Administration (Accounting) from Georgia College and State University.. She moved from that position to teach Business & Computer Science. Mrs. Stokes transferred to Westside High School when it opened where she served as the department chair for the Career and Technical Education Department. In 2009, she moved into the position of Performance Learning Coach working with all teachers in the area of pedagogy. In 2011, she became the Graduation Coach and worked with both teachers and students to insure student success. She further was an integral part of the Blended Learning Grant team developing the grant and later implementing the grant.
[email protected]
478-238-5757
[email protected]
478-238-5757